The question of how to tenderize steaks has several answers, but few are as cheap, easy, and incredibly effective as the one featured in this post. With this method, you only need two “secret ingredients” to make even cheap, tougher cuts of steak tender and delicious: salt and time!
Armed only with a bit of coarse salt and patience, you can totally transform a steak into a meal that bound to score points with the whole family. There’s a reason this grilling tip is one of my most popular pins ever on Pinterest, and it’s because it really does work! To learn how to tenderize steak to perfection the quick and easy way, read on!
Why Salt Is the Best Way to Tenderize Steak
Salting your steaks, a process also referred to as “dry brining,” before cooking them will cause a miraculous, tenderizing transformation! It will make them super tender and juicy, even if you start with thin or cheaper cuts of steak.
But not just any salt will do! Skip the standard table salt — you need to use a coarse sea salt or kosher salt here to achieve the best results. Coarse salt helps create the briny solution that will break down the proteins and muscle fibers in the meat for maximum tenderness. I’m getting hungry already!
How Does Salt Tenderize Meat?
It’s pretty fascinating to consider all the different things salt can do to the food we eat. If you’re saying to yourself, “I thought salt dried stuff out,” you’d be right! The effect of salting any food is largely a matter of timing.
Over a short period of time, like an hour or even overnight, coarse salt will draw out some of a steak’s natural moisture. That liquid will dissolve the salt and form a brine, and once that brine is reabsorbed, it will tenderize and flavor the meat.
If you left salt on a steak for a long period of time (like a few weeks or even months), the salt would eventually pull all of the moisture out of the meat, curing and preserving it in the process. Neat, right?
How to Tenderize Steak by Dry Brining With Salt
To tenderize steaks by dry brining them, start by arranging your steaks on a plate, then cover both sides of each steak with about 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. (If you like, you can add crushed garlic to the salt for even more flavor!) Use your fingers to press the salt (and garlic, if using) into the surface of the meat.
Let the steaks sit for 45 minutes to an hour before cooking, or longer for thicker cuts. (This process is quick enough to do at room temperature, but there’s nothing wrong with refrigerating your steaks while dry brining them, if you prefer.)
After the wait, use a few paper towels to wipe the remaining salt off the steaks and pat them dry. (I don’t recommend you rinse them, as rinsing raw meat risks spreading bacteria all over your sink.) Be sure to dry both sides of the steak thoroughly, so that you can get a delicious, crispy sear.
Season the steaks as desired, then grill or cook them to the degree of doneness you prefer. Whether you cook your steaks on a grill or in a heavy pan (you can’t go wrong with a cast iron skillet!), let the cooking surface get nice and hot before you start cooking to achieve the best, most flavorful results.
Serve and sit back and enjoy the happy faces around the dinner table. :-)
5 More Ways to Tenderize Steak
There are several other methods you can use to tenderize a tough cut of meat, all of which can yield great results:
- Use A Meat Mallet. Pound the steaks with the spiky side of a meat mallet or tenderizer to break up those tough connective tissues and muscle fibers.
- Let Steaks Rest After Cooking. Allowing your steaks to rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking will keep them juicy and tender. If you cut into your steaks too soon, those juices will run out instead of getting reabsorbed.
- Cook Low And Slow. So-called “low and slow” cooking methods like smoking and sous vide (which is pretty much foolproof) help to render fat and break down tough tissues for tender, juicy steaks.
- Use A Marinade. Marinating meat doesn’t just add flavor — it also helps tenderize the meat. Marinades typically contain enzymes from fruits like pineapple or papaya, as well as acids like vinegar and citrus juice, both of which can help break down tough tissues. (Try the worcestershire sauce steak marinade, if you haven’t already do so!)
- Cut Against The Grain. Slice tougher cuts like flank steak and strip steak against the grain after cooking. The shorter muscle tissues will make each slice more tender than they would be otherwise.
While all of these methods can be effective, some take a bit more time and effort than dry brining with salt. But it’s always good to have options, I say!
More Ideas You'll Love
Bonus Tip: If you end up cooking the meat a bit too much, don’t throw it out until you’ve learned how to salvage overcooked meat! You may be able to use it in another totally delicious way!
Do you have a favorite tip or trick for how to tenderize steak?
How To Tenderize Steak (Recipe)
Video
Equipment
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 2 lbs petite sirloin steak
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Arrange the steaks on a plate, cover each side with about 1 teaspoon of coarse salt, then use your fingers to press the salt into the meat.
- Let the steaks sit for 45 minutes to an hour, or longer for thicker cuts.
- Use paper towels to wipe the excess salt off the steaks and pat them dry.
- Season as desired, then grill until desired doneness.
Nope – it’s best to go on the pan at room temperature :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It will just be salty :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Definitely put it in the fridge if you’re leaving it overnight :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sure – any coarse salt will do! I’m not sure about freezing with salt on already, I think the salt might penetrate the steaks too much – making them very salty!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Don’t leave the salt on as long next time. I found that it’s also to salty tasting on thinner cuts and I lessen the time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Your Granddog is the cutest. I know that wasn’t the topic but, had to mention it anyway.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As a new bride ( many years ago), I stumbled upon the secret to making a juicy steak. My family raises our own meat so our meat is stored in a freezer. I never thaw out a steak. Season the frozen steak and broil it using a broiling pan. Just make sure to watch the meat and turn it before it gets too done on each side. My mother-in-law had a broken arm and so I made steak for one of the meals while she was not able to cook. I will never forget the look on her face when she took the first bite of that steak. My father-in-law beat her to the punch when he asked how I was able to cook such a juicy steak. Just don’t thaw it out and broil it on high temp so that it seals in the juices. And NEVER stick your meat fork into the meat itself. Stick the meat fork into the edge where the fat or the bone is. My mother-in-law changed her steak cooking method that very day.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sounds delicious!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh wow! Thank you sooooo much!! I do not eat beef but the hubs is only beef eater! Ive never mastered the art of a great steak (ive always thought it had something to do with because I do not eat steak/beef) so this should improve my game drastically!!! Thanks again!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.HI Angie,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love to coat the steaks in salt and pepper, let them sit and just grill them without rinsing the salt–amazing flavor!
Steaks should be room temperature when they hit the hot frying pan. I use hot cast iron with olive oil & butter blend, heated to sizzle without smoke. I don’t rinse salt off steak, but I will try that next time. Thanks for the tip!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What about a turkey? Can you just salt it under the skin and get the same results as brining in tons of salted water?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For a turkey, you usually soak in salt water overnight.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It will work really well! It will take a long time though – one to three days. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In South Africa I learned to marinade steak or other meat in coca cola… Let it drain and grill or bake. You can use the marinade (coke) as a base for your sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I hardly ever buy steak because it never comes out good. Now I can’t wait to try this! Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use gloves or a plastic gloves on steaks. I season them and put them back in freezer for 20 minutes. I usually end up with one tender steak.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s a new tip to some of us! I can’t wait to try it =)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Two other critical tips: 1) let the meat come to room temperature before cooking so you don’t shock the meat causing all the capillaries to close; and 2) let the meat sit for 15 to 20 minutes after its done so it can reabsorb its juices.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the tips!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always use sea salt but never thought to let it sit and IT WORKS!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thankyou so much, I’ll be passing this on over here in the U.K.
Sounds delicious!! Thank you, Jillee.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee. We in New Zealand use kiwifruit (pulped) to tenderize meats. Works a treat and is healthy as. Haeri Ra (Maori) Cheers Fred
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Felicity thanks for the tip about Morton’s. I always brine, even hamburger because I don’t like the chance of anything growing there. Its hard to drain, so I line a tea towel inside a strainer. Any ideas on this would be appreciated. I’m glad that Jillee did a segment on brining. Thanks, Jillee.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Years ago when I worked as a waitress the steaks were always frozen. the cook made a paste with dry mustard and water and rubbed it over both sides of the steak before cooking. Works like a charm, frozen or not, and no salt worries.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.OMG here in UK you’d need to take out another mortgage on your house for a steak that size. Great tip though!